Resilient seat support



Oct. 27, 1970 w. c. ROSENBAUM RESILIENT SEAT SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6, 1969 F3 MN MW ww mm mm i I r w 1970 w. c. ROSENBAUM ,536,

RESILIENT SEAT SUPPORT S Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1969 Oct. 27, 1970 w. c. ROSENBAUM RESILIENT SEAT SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 6. 1969 a) e9ayj e/aw, w w

United States Patent Office 3,536,288 Patented Oct. 27, 1970 3,536,288 RESILIENT SEAT SUPPORT William C. Rosenbaum, Wheeling, 111., assignor to Masten Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 6, 1969, Ser. No. 797,035 Int. Cl. B6011 1/08 US. Cl. 248-399 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A yieldable support for a seat, such as an automobile seat, comprising top and bottom frame members, a vertically and horizontally shiftable intermediate floating frame member, and coil spring cushioning means disposed parallel to said frame members acting between opposed arms of bell crank levers carried by said intermediate frame and actuated through links pivoted between the upper frame member and the bell crank levers, the frame members further include opposed pairs of crossed arms in pivotal engagement with each other and said intermediate frame, and at one of their adjacent ends in pivotal engagement with the top and bottom frame members, and their remaining ends in slidable engagement with said frame members.

The present invention relates to a resilient support for seats especially for motor vehicles although not limited thereto.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spring supported seat of a compact nature and construction wherein the springs are coil springs disposed horizontally and connected to and actuated by bell crank lever means.

In general, the yieldable seat support of the present invention comprises upper and lower frame members and opposed pairs of side cross bars medially pivoted to each other, one of the adjacent ends of each of said bars being pivotally engaged to said upper and lower frame members respectively and the other adjacent ends of said bars being in slidable abutment :with said upper and lower respective frame members. An intermediate parallel frame member is disposed between said upper and lower frame members and is vertically and horizontally yieldably suspended from said upper frame member, vertical arms extending therefrom through slotted areas formed in said upper frame member. The intermediate frame member comprises a spaced pair of arms in pivoted engagement with the cross bars on the axis of their pivots, and a spaced pair of rods secured to and extending between said arms. An opposed pair of bell crank levers is pivotally carried by said intermediate frame rods at their angles with the first one of their arms in depending position. Tension coil spring means are secured to and between these opposed pairs of said dependent arms and eytend parallel to said frame members and between the cross bars thereof. A rod is mounted on the upper frame member and extends at a right angle to said springs, and divergingly inclined link members are pivotally carried at one end by said rod and pivotally engaged at their opposed ends to the second arms of said bell crank levers, whereby compression of said upper frame member causes rotation of said bell crank levers against the tension of said spring means.

The objects of the present invention, its details of construction, arrangement of parts and advantages thereof will be further evident from the accompanying specification and drawings,.wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the upper rectangular frame member is comprised of the opposed angle iron members 1010 described here for ease in reference as longitudinally extending, in welded engagement with the transverse members 1111 each having a short angular portion 12 for purposes which will be hereinafter explained. The top frame member further comprises the transverse members 13-13 and the intermediate angle iron or rod 14 having its vertical leg apertured for reception of the longitudinally extending rod 15 endwise supported in the mounts 16-46 on the frame members 1010.

The bottom frame member comprises the transversely extending angle iron members 1717 and the longitudinally extending tie member 18. Extending longitudinally of the bottom frame member and at one end of the angle irons 17-17 is the rod 19 pivotally retained in the members 2020 and extending transversely of the frame members.

At opposed ends of the top and bottom frame members are cross bars 21 and 22 medially pivoted together by the pivot member 23. The forward adjacent ends of the cross bars 21 and 22 carry rollers to permit sliding movement within the frame. Thus, the forward end of arm 21 carries the rollers 24 on the longitudinal arm 25 and the forward end of the cross bar 22 carries the roller 26 on the cross bar 27. The rollers 26 ride on the lower arm of angle iron 17--17 and the rollers 24-24 ride on the short angular or horizontal portion of the top frame members 1111. The rearward adjacent portions of the cross arms 21 and 22 are restrained against sliding movement. Thus, arm 22 is engaged to the longitudinally extending bar 19 in the bearing members 20 and the rearward portion of arm 22 is engaged to the longitudinally extending rod 28 endwise pivotally carried by the bearing members 29'29.

Disposed between the upper and lower frame members is the intermediate frame member and composed of the transverse bars or angle iron members 30 30, the vertical legs of which are pivotally engaged by the pivots 23-23 which extend between the cross arms 21 and 22. The horizontal legs of these angle irons 30 carry the suspension members 31 each extending through a slot 32 in the upper transverse frame members 13. The upper ends of the suspension members 31 are engaged by the retainer members 33 so that the intermediate frame is free to move in a generally horizontal direction relative to the slots and in a vertical direction relative to the top frame member.

The intermediate frame member further includes the rods 3434 extending between the members 1313 and journaled thereon by the members 35. Carried by the rods 34-34 are the opposed pairs of bell crank lever members composed of the vertically downwardly extending arm 36 and an inclined-to-the-horizontal arm 37. These arms 36 and 37 are secured together so that they act as a bell crank lever and at their angle or heel are engaged to the rods 74 so that they rotate therewith when the rods 34 are pivotally retained in the journals 35. On the other hand, the rods 34 can be fixedly secured in the journals and the bell crank lever permitted to pivot on the rods 34.

Extending between and secured to the lower bell crank lever arm 36 at the opposed sides of the frame are the rods 38. Secured to these rods 38 so as to extend transversely of the frame are one or more spring members such as coil springs 39 and 40 the force of which tends to urge the opposed lower bell crank lever arms 36 towards each other. This force is translated from the bell crank levers through their arms 37 to the links 41 which are secured at their lower ends to the outer ends of the arms 37, these links 41 being then pivoted at their opposed ends to the rod 15 which runs longitudinally of the frame so that the force of the springs is to urge the upper frame portion of the seat upwardly and yieldably supported the upper frame portion and the seat cushion 42 disposed thereover.

I claim:

1. A yieldable support for a seat, such as an automobile seat, comprising top and bottom frame members, a vertically and horizontally shiftable intermediate floating frame member, and coil spring cushioning means disposed parallel to said frame members acting between opposed arms of bell crank levers carried by said intermediate frame and actuated through links pivoted between the upper frame member and the bell crank levers, the frame members further including opposed pairs of crossed arms in pivotal engagement with each other and said intermediate frame, and at one of their adjacent ends in pivotal engagement with the top and bottom frame members, and their remaining ends in slidable engagement with said frame members.

2. A yieldable support for a seat comprising upper and lower frame members, opposed pairs of side cross bars medially pivoted to each other, one of the adjacent ends of each of said bars being pivotally engaged to said upper and lower frame members respectively and the other adjacent ends of said bars being in slidable abutment with said upper and lower respective frame members, an intermediate frame member disposed between said upper and lower frame members and yieldably suspended from said upper frame member comprising a spaced pair of arms disposed parallel to said cross bars and in pivoted engagement with the cross bars on the axis of their pivots; a spaced pair of rods secured to and extending between said arms, and bell crank levers pivotally carried by said rods at their angles with the first one of their arms in depending position, at least one coil spring means secured to and between opposed pairs of said dependent arms and extending parallel to said frame members and between the cross bars thereof, a rod mounted'on the upper frame member and extending in a right angle direction to said springs, and link members pivotally carried at one end by said latter rod and pivotally engaged at their opposed ends to the second arms of said bell crank levers, said spring means yieldably resisting relative compression of said up per and lower frame members towards each other.

3. A yieldable support for a seat comprising upper and lower frame members, opposed pairs of said cross bars medially pivoted to each other, one of the adjacent ends of each of said bars being pivotally engaged to said upper and lower frame members respectively and the other adjacent ends of said bars being in slidable abutment with said upper and lower respective frame members, and intermediate frame member disposed between said upper and lower frame members and vertically and horizontally yieldably suspended from said upper frame member, vertical arms extending through slotted areas formed in said frame member components, said frame member comprising a spaced pair of arms disposed parallel to said cross bars and in pivoted engagement with the cross bars on the axis of their pivots; a spaced pair of rods secured to and extending between said arms, and opposed pairs of bell crank levers pivotally carried by said rods at their angles with the first one of their arms in depending position, tension coil spring means secured to and between parallel to said frame members and between the cross bars thereof, a rod mounted on the upper frame member and extending in a right angle direction to said springs, and divergingly inclined link members pivotally carried at one end by said latter rod and pivotally engaged at their opposed ends to the second arms of said bell crank levers whereby compression of said upper frame member causes rotation of said bell crank levers against the tension of said spring means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,827,947 3/1958 Wilkinson 248-421 3,109,621 11/1963 Simons et al 248399 3,140,851 7/ 1964 'Bilancia 248'399 3,189,312 6/1965 Bilancia 248-384 3,356,413 12/1967 Radke et al. 248--399 FOREIGN PATENTS 30,343 1/1926 France. 586,703 1/ 1925 France. 1,454,017 4/1966 France.

936,249 12/ 1955 Germany.

MARION PARSONS, 111., Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 297-345 

